Exploding Stars
by Sweetsong
Summary: [Yaoi] Waking up naked next to your rival only to find out you're married to each other never bodes well with anyone. Much less Naruto and Sasuke. [NaruSasu]
1. The Morning After

**Pairing:** Naruto/Sasuke (Sasuke is UKE in this one!) May include other pairings in the future.

**Warning:** Contains yaoi. Don't like, don't read.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Exploding Stars**

**Chapter 1 The Morning After**

Hot mouths descended on each other and warm, calloused hands roamed over bodies. Their breathing was frantic and uneven. Sasuke couldn't think, all he knew at the moment were the soft lips on his and the talented tongue in his mouth. It was so good. Naruto was so good. He ran his hands up over the back of Naruto's neck and embedded them in unruly blonde strands, clasping his elbows around Naruto's neck for support. He felt as if he let go, his knees would give way. A strong arm honed by years of training wound around his waist, the other up his spine, pressing him snugly against the firm, well-built body. His legs were suddenly jelly-like despite all the years spent training to move silently and stealthily.

Dammit, he hated how Naruto did this to him. The dimwitted blonde could get him so riled up despite all his self-mastery over his emotions with a single, stupid comment. Or make him worry constantly (he'd never admit it) with his careless, inane actions so poorly calculated it could've cost them the whole mission and their lives. Or turn him into something that couldn't think, couldn't make decisions, couldn't do anything but feel—like now.

Naruto pulled away, and he had to suppress a whimper at the loss of that heated mouth. The lips moved eastward, planting wet, sloppy kisses to his ear. That felt so good. Why hadn't he done this before?

The alcohol in his system was still running strong, fuelled by the delightful sensation he was experiencing. Sasuke ignored his thoughts, only concentrating on the warm hands that gently pushed him back. The back of his knees hit the bed, and he fell backward, taking the blonde down with him.

-----

It was a merciless pounding headache, sore muscles, stunning bright light, and an unfamiliar but not unpleasant scent that Naruto awoke to that morning. He couldn't think or even remember what had occurred the previous night—his head hurt too much (Hangover, he cursed.) and his mind was still too befuddled by sleep. He could taste the revolting residue of alcohol in his mouth, the back of his throat was dry, and he licked his lips. He winced and sealed his eyes at the assaulting strong light. The room was too bright. Since when was his room this bright in the morning?

It was late, his internal clock informed him. Naruto didn't care though—as far as he was concerned, today wasn't a day he had to wake up early for. It was the weekend and Kakashi would be away for a few days anyway. The blonde had earned the estimated four days that Kakashi would be gone to do anything he wanted, and sleep was something he had promised himself he would catch up on. But, damn, his hammering head hurt too much to concentrate on anything.

What had he done last night? He couldn't remember, but judging from his symptoms this morning, the only plausible conclusion would be that he had gotten drunk. Most likely gotten trashed with Kiba and Shikamaru. Kiba must have gotten hold of Asuma's liquor collection again, and the three ended up in a drinking binge. Urgh. He didn't care much anyway, his pummelling head didn't allow him to think—and thinking was futile for him this early anyway.

He buried his face back into his pillow, fully intent on going back to sleep. Maybe he could try sleeping his hangover off, or maybe at least it wouldn't be as severe the next time he woke up. His bed was more comfortable than he could ever remember it to be today—it could've just as easily been his imagination, or exaggeration brought on by hangover. He nuzzled into something soft and warm.

The fragrance was back. He couldn't place his finger on it (fruity and a hint of something else) but it was nice, and he decided he liked it. (Maybe it was the new brand of shampoo he bought the other day?) Embedding his nose into the scent and the soft warmth, Naruto inhaled deeply. Something silk soft pressed against and tickled his cheek; his lips unconsciously curled upward. The blonde snuggled even more into the welcoming warmth and creamy velvet. When was his pillow this inviting?

A gentle, barely audible moan emitted right beside his ear. Naruto stiffened and his eyes flew open. It was at that moment that he finally registered the solid body wrapped intimately around him. He had snuggled against a warm, supple neck, and the soft, silky strands were hair.

A girl? He blushed. Even after all his craziest late-night escapades with Kiba and Shikamaru, he had never, ever actually slept with a girl. That was just too far. He has his own dignity after all. He had never gotten so drunk that he'd actually gone so far as to bed a girl. Just how much did he have last night anyway? Well, if this hangover was any indicator, he had more than his tolerated share of booze last night.

Wait. Had they… The rosy tint on his cheeks darkened. He immediately assessed the situation and discovered that they were both naked, tangled only in a blanket and each other. Out of all the gorgeous predicaments fate tossed him into, it had to be this. But then, fate had never been kind to him; rather, he had long resigned himself in acceptance that his life was never going to be easy—fate and destiny had insured that for him the moment he was born. What was he going to do? What should he say? What would _the girl_ say? Oh, Hokage, what would the girl do? More importantly, was there anything he could do to get out of this?

The blonde froze when the girl stirred. She moaned again and shifted her head to cuddle against his strong collarbone. The burning on Naruto's cheeks, if possible, intensified, and the blonde was suddenly aware of the compromising position the pair was ensnarled in. He had one hand cupped tightly on her ass, the other arm circling her back, hugging her securely against him. Her face was buried in the hollow between his neck and collarbone. Slender arms circled his waist, and Naruto could feel smooth, long legs wrapped around his own thigh.

That fragrance… It was her hair, he realized. Her shiny black hair that just naturally spiked up at the back, vaguely reminiscent of someone he knew. It looked so soft and made Naruto want to run his fingers though to determine if it was indeed as soft as it appeared. The girl had pale, porcelain skin, unflawed and untouched by freckles or scars. Naruto had yet to see her face, but he could already tell she was a beauty.

That somehow only served to make him feel even guiltier. Just what exactly had he done last night? He couldn't remember even the tiniest of details. He couldn't recall Shikamaru or Kiba, or even drinking for that matter. Wait—there was Sasuke. Sasuke was a part of last night, he was sure. Was he the one he went drinking with? Naruto immediately dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. He doubted Sasuke even touched liquor. The Uchiha heir was too proud to ever be caught at the end of a bottle, and Naruto had never seen him even consume wine or champagne. But he was most certain Sasuke played a role in whatever conspired the previous night. Hopefully, maybe Sasuke would know something about the girl currently lying next to him.

The girl let out another moan and shifted. Naruto panicked. What would she do when she wakes up and finds him beside her? Fully awake and all traces of hangover gone and replaced by alarm, the blonde gingerly unfolded himself from the girl's embrace. The girl's grip tightened reflexively and Naruto slipped, flopping on top of the girl with a dull thud. He wasn't heavy, but years of training had built lean, hard muscles.

The girl groaned and rolled over, her long black eyelashes fluttering as she delicately opened her eyes, adjusting to the uncomfortable light. Naruto's jaw dropped. The girl wasn't a girl at all.

It was _Sasuke_.

His mind then disclosed on the smooth, _flat _chest his hands were on; blue eyes scanned down the expanse of white skin to discover that it did belong to a lean, lithe very _male_ body. If he still sported any doubts, no girl would have that down there pressing against Naruto's thigh.

So, did that mean that he and Sasuke…?

Tanned cheeks sporting whisker scars flamed crimson. Naruto himself could feel the heat on his face, and he briefly wondered in the back of his mind if he had ever blushed this much in such a short period before in his entire life.

Wonderful, he thought wryly. He would've very much preferred the anonymous girl instead. Even having an anonymous boy would've been far better than Sasuke. At least then, things could get as awkward as it could possibly get, rocket out of their hands, and the two would never have to lay eyes on each other again. Konoha wasn't large, but certainly big enough to go through life without ever knowing other people in the same village. However, with Sasuke, it would complicate tenfold. How exactly do you explain what had happened the night prior, why both of you were as naked as the day you were born, or why you two were lying in the same bed this morning, cuddling? To the person you consider your life-long rival and—to a degree—your best friend, no less?

Furthermore, if he knew Sasuke, which he did like the back of his hand, the chances the Uchiha bastard would take it well or try to understand at least were slim to none. Naruto could already hear Sasuke's words in his head: the tirade, the cold, silent tantrum, and the accusations and blame were inevitable.

But what if the two of them hadn't done anything? Just collapsed on a bed and fallen asleep next to each other? It wasn't an unreasonable idea. It wasn't the first time that the two had slept together; some longer, higher-classed missions had forced them to share a bedroll or futon. His mind scrambled for a plausible excuse. For all he knew, they probably weren't even completely unclothed. He could be wearing shorts under the blanket.

Relief consumed him. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Of course that's what had happened. It was just absurd to think that he and Sasuke would willingly—he wasn't even going to voice it. It was just a silly assessment brought on by the morning.

He was still staring at Sasuke when the latter slowly detached from slumber, black eyes finally focusing in on him.

-----

Warmth enveloped him. Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he felt like this: comfortable and safe. Perhaps he never had. This feeling of assurance and security was a stranger to what he knew, but definitely not unwelcome. So nice, some sub-conscious part in the back of his mind acknowledged. It shuffled, and he mildly panicked, automatically locking his arms around the pillar of heat. Something hard landed on him, knocking the air out of his lungs. He grumbled incoherently, forcing his eyelids open.

The first thing he saw when his vision cleared was a pair of familiar, distraught blue eyes studying him in a thoughtful, unwavering gaze. Spiky, unkempt blonde hair fell into the intense eyes, and skimmed his forehead. He took in the whiskers on either cheek. _Naruto_. The second thing he noticed was the close proximity of the two; Naruto's nose was barely touching his and, if one of them were to move slightly, their lips would brush.

Then everything assaulted his senses at once: the revolting taste in his mouth (alcohol?), the sharp, throbbing pain in his head, the stiffness of his body, and the blinding, bright light of midmorning. He felt sluggish, awful, and clumsy—almost like Naruto, much to his dismay. He rarely commenced his day like this: waking so late and in such a disgraceful condition. Usually, he was up at the crack of dawn, sharp and collected. In his opinion, awaking with the sun gave him a satisfaction. A new day cradled so many possibilities and experiences, it would be a waste to sleep through half of it. (Which was why he could never relate to that lazy Shikamaru, no matter how intelligent he proved to be.)

"Ugh," he groaned. Naruto, almost nervously, shifted on top of him, freeing his arm. Sasuke raked a hand through his sleep-tousled raven hair and rubbed the sleep from an eye (an action which the blonde secretly found fascinating) before turning his attention to the weight on top of him. Only to discern the state of complete undress he and Naruto were currently in. His first reaction, though not deliberate, was a blush. Then the situation really kicked in and his eyes widened a fraction.

The blonde shifted again, this time straddling the Uchiha's lean hips. He suppressed a gulp and stared as a collection of emotions ranging from embarrassment to shock to disbelief crossed the pale face beneath him. He groped his mind for a liable explanation, which he just knew the Uchiha would demand soon. Or at least something to say to ease the suffocating tension that was rapidly thickening.

Sasuke was horrified. What was Naruto doing here of all places? And why in the world was he naked? He didn't have to look down to know he himself was naked too. Sasuke was smart; it didn't take much deducting to guess what happened. The equation was obvious: him and Naruto, in bed, without clothes, not fighting (already there was something wrong there).

They didn't… did they? They had better not! For the sake of his dignity, they had better not done what he has in mind.

He clenched his eyes shut. Think rationally, he ordered himself. This is just a dream. No, a nightmare. He slowly counted to ten, praying the blue eyes, blonde hair, and tanned body would disappear. But when he opened his eyes again, Naruto was still there, leaning down, face only inches away.

Naruto was beginning to worry. Sasuke was taking this worse than he thought. He absently chewed on his bottom lip.

Sasuke inhaled a deep breath and spoke, "What are _you_ doing here, idiot?" His tone was cool and calm like usual, the opposite of what was really inside.

The blonde bristled at the insult, then relaxed in relief at the familiar behaviour, and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I, uh, don't know."

Black eyes shot him a withering glare, one Naruto had long since perfected an immunity against. "Why are we naked?"

"I, um, don't know."

"What happened last night?"

"I don't know."

Anger flared in the dark depths. Sasuke was on his elbows now, their noses almost kissing. "Just what _do_ you know?" he hissed dangerously.

Naruto opened his mouth to say nothing, paused, then immediately shut it. There was no specific recollection of anything that happened the previous night in his mind, but he knew without a doubt that he had gotten more than pleasantly drunk. (How else do you explain the aftertaste and the hangover?) He knew that Sasuke somehow fit into the scene, and that it was all Kiba's fault for getting hold of hard booze in the first place. Shikamaru was to blame too for letting him drink that much, knowing his alcoholic limits. So he voiced his opinions, inwardly congratulating himself on his expert conclusion. He had the upper hand over Sasuke for once.

Sasuke wanted to punch that smirk off his face. Trust the moron to state the blinding obvious. "Anything else that you know?"

The blonde scowled, "Let's see you try and remember last night."

Sasuke faltered, "I can't remember anything." His hand anxiously toyed with a lock of hair. He just wanted to make sure the two of them hadn't actually done what their current circumstance suggested. Noble, aristocratic clans valued pure bloodlines and chastity. To someone born into the reputable, genius Uchiha clan, bedding another person before marriage was beyond disgraceful and dishonourable. The men were viewed as unfaithful and the women promiscuous and shameful.

That it was with Naruto of all people only made it worse, though anyone else wouldn't have been better. Even Neji or Hinata with their highly respected Hyuuga bloodline wouldn't make a difference. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of sleeping with Neji. Where had that come from?

"So did we… do it?" Sasuke asked almost timidly. His cheeks were pink, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde.

Naruto decided to go with the logical story he had made up earlier. "Nope. I think we were just so tired that we fell asleep on your bed."

An audible sigh of relief washed over Sasuke despite the believability of the story. Naruto glared down at him. "Hey, it's not like I want to have sex with you too, you bastard."

Sasuke, feeling too contented, chose to ignore the insult. He combed his hand through his hair. That was when he spotted the small ring on his left hand. He frowned and brought his hand up to examine it. Strange, he never wore jewellery before. Rings and necklaces were for girls, he always thought. He had never really cared for meaningless, mundane objects like that—they were worthless, in his opinion. Observing his finger from up close, he saw that the ring was really nothing fancy, just a small, golden band. It was plain and simple, but Sasuke suddenly found himself liking it. It adorned his ring finger nicely, and he chose to keep it on. He couldn't recall wearing it yesterday—maybe he just got it last night—but he didn't really particularly care.

Then recognition abruptly struck him. On his left ring finger… It was a wedding ring, he was sure. But that meant… To who? Horror and panic swiftly choked him without warning, and he couldn't breathe for a moment. Was he hyperventilating?

"Eh? Look, Sasuke, I have one too," Naruto's voice broke through his jumbled thoughts. The words registered in his alarmed mind, and his black eyes widened considerably._ Naruto has a wedding ring too._

Before he could say anything though, the loud, shrill rings of the telephone went off on the miniature stand beside his bed. Naruto, seeing the horror on his teammate's white, panicking face, decided Sasuke wasn't fit to talk, let alone answer the phone. Secretly, he hadn't ever witnessed the raven-haired Uchiha behave this way, showcasing so much vulnerability for the world to see, and it worried him. Even when up against a bloodthirsty and lethal opponent that wouldn't hesitate to slit their throats in a fraction of a second, Sasuke was always calm and composed, even smirking arrogantly. The Uchiha was somehow always in control in some way, and Naruto had never seen him so shaken up. If he wasn't so worried right now, he might have been very amused and would've filed this into memory as legitimate blackmail material.

He presumed to do the Uchiha a favour and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"_NARUTOOOOO!"_ Sakura's shrill cry pierced through the earpiece.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Married to You

Yes, finally finished this chapter! I wrote the beginning at least 6 times. >.> Just wasn't satisfied with it. Anyway, Christmas break is here so my updates should be faster. If at any time you'd like to check my progress, there's a progress report on my FFN profile which I update regularly. Hehe, I should've made this fic an AU and Naru and Sasu strangers. XD Imagine the horror. It would probably be more fun to write too. What do you guys think? Should I rewrite this?

Thanks to all those that reviewed. Especially those on AFF that said this sounds like Las Vegas. XD I had quite the laugh.

**Exploding Stars**

**Chapter 2 Married to You**

Naruto regretted answering the phone as soon as he heard the voice.

The blonde visibly cringed at the high-pitched, ear-piercing shriek violating his ears and quickly withdrew the earpiece. Sasuke, still on his elbows and pinned underneath him, could only describe it as screeching. Once it stopped did Naruto deem it safe enough to bring the earpiece closer to his ear.

"Sakura?" he spoke cautiously into the mouthpiece. Naruto had the sudden impression of treading in a minefield. Any wrong word and a bomb would explode under his feet.

He rapidly ransacked his memories for anything he might have done recently to upset the girl. He hadn't even been up to his usual tricks in a while, much to the relief of Iruka, the Hokage, and the villagers. Truthfully, he couldn't remember the last prank or scandal he had pulled worthy of gossip and attention. The harmless ones he was certainly guilty of, including slipping Kakashi's phone number to perverts saying it belonged to a hot, young chick ("But, Kakashi, those men were desperate. I need to give them some hope.") to replacing Sasuke's underwear in his drawers with frilly pink bras and lacy thongs ("Sasuke, I didn't know you had a secret _fetish_!").

Other than his arguments with Sasuke last week, there was nothing he could think of significant enough to warrant Sakura's anger. But those were a regular occurrence; the two clashed so often, it wouldn't feel _natural_ if they didn't bicker every once in a while. It wasn't as if Naruto intentionally picked a fight either—the Uchiha just knew how to press his buttons and get him riled up. Sasuke loved goading him, and Naruto never backed down from a challenge. The girl should just learn to accept it—or better yet, take his side and yell at Sasuke for a change.

Sakura seemed to have reined in her temper a little. "Naruto! What are you doing at Sasuke's house this early?"

_Good question. I'd like to know the answer to that too._ "Uh… well, you see, Sakura…" Naruto faked a cough, trying to stall enough time to fabricate a passable excuse in his mind. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What?" Sakura was getting annoyed, and Naruto could hear the mounting temper in her voice. His mouth was suddenly so dry, and he licked his lips. He was certainly in no mood to test Sakura's fury. (It must be one of _those_ days when Sakura experienced severe, unpredictable mood swings which he never understood and didn't dare to ask.)

Naruto debated what to say. It had to be something believable and wouldn't sink him in deeper trouble. He decided to settle for the truth. Iruka had always told him the truth was foolproof and could never go wrong on him. He couldn't think of a fitting lie right now anyway, and Sakura had an uncanny ability to detect whether he was honest or not. She was always a hard one to fool.

However, Naruto wasn't, of course, as naïve as when he was seven and caught red-handed by Iruka in one of his ingenious schemes. He wasn't about to tell Sakura the complete truth just because he chose to be reasonably sincere now. The _modified_ truth would be a better choice. The blonde was definitely not about to inform the girl that both he and Sasuke were stark naked and _cuddling_ in bed. Sakura would murder him.

"Uh… Well, Sakura… It's like this. I swear I didn't do anything and it's not my fault, but I think me and Sasuke got drunk and slept together last night." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could neatly rephrase them.

"WHAT?"

There was nothing more that Sasuke wanted but to strangle the blonde at that moment. It was often he found himself pondering how dense Naruto could possibly get. Just when he thought Naruto had arrived at the limits of his stupidity, the blonde had to prove him wrong time and time again. Growling, he wrenched the phone from Naruto's grasp and shot the boy a cutting glare.

"Sakura?" He spoke into the phone, still eying Naruto. It wasn't so much a greeting as a curt 'What do you want?'

At the other end, Sakura's mouth was open, ready to demand what Naruto meant exactly by the words 'slept together'. When Sasuke's voice came on the line, her tone audibly changed. "Sasuke? Are you all right? What is going on? What is Naruto doing over at your house?"

The last question was laced with a note of jealousy which Sasuke identified. His teammate's concerned words didn't go unnoticed by him either. It must be important if she was phoning him—he wasn't even sure he gave her his phone number. (Little did Sasuke know that approximately half of the female population under sixteen in Konoha had his phone number doodled with hearts somewhere. The other half had burned it to memory as soon as they had acquired it. Of course, they were all too shy to actually put it to use and call him. Had Sasuke known, he would've had his phone number changed immediately.)

"Yes, I'm fine," replied Sasuke calmly, clearly confused. He purposely ignored the last question. He had _assumptions_ of why Naruto was in his bed this morning, but certainly wasn't about to share them with Sakura. For all he knew (and hoped), there was the possibility he might be wrong about the entire situation. He added, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sakura was lost on this. Yes, the Uchiha sounded all right. She promptly felt so foolish for worrying so much and imagining the worst case scenario. Of course, Sasuke was fine! Why wouldn't he be? He was a high-class ninja, better than many by a tenfold. Sasuke could take care of himself—he had even before she knew him, after all. He didn't need her to fuss over him like worried parent over a child.

He didn't _need_ her.

Sakura winced at the thought. Even after four years of being by Sasuke's side and enduring his indifferent attitude, it still stung to know the object of her affections didn't need her. The Uchiha's rejections weren't foreign—every girl that had ever worked up the nerve to confess her feelings to Sasuke all met the same fate. But what really bothered Sakura was the four years of being Sasuke's teammate, and she was no closer to the boy romantically than before.

"Er… I just wanted to make sure you are fine," she began almost embarrassedly. She could feel her cheeks heating up and was thankful for the phone. "I guess it's nothing, really. I just heard some disturbing rumours flying around, but I know they're not true."

"Rumours? What rumours?" That readily sparked Sasuke's curiosity.

"It's silly…" Sakura trailed off, but could hear the interest in Sasuke's words. That encouraged her—Sasuke was seldom interested in many things excluding missions—and she continued shyly, glad to have Sasuke's full, undivided attention, "Ino was telling me how everyone at the flower shop was talking about it. They were saying that…" The girl drifted off again at this point. Sasuke could picture her sawing nervously on her lips, contemplating what to say.

The last of the Uchiha bloodline was starting to grow impatient. Patience wasn't a virtue he had mastered early in life, and its limits were exceeded very easily—especially when it came to dealing with a particular, idiotic blonde. "Go on," he pressed. Naruto thought he saw a fine black eyebrow twitch.

Hesitation was evident in Sakura's voice. "Um… she said that," an inhalation of breath, "you're married, Sasuke. That you got married last night."

Sasuke visibly stiffened under Naruto and his eyes widened in disbelief. He was still propped on his elbows, hips straddled by the blonde, with a hand cradling the receiver against his ear. Naruto thought the boy appeared even whiter than before. Aware of his undignified, open mouth, Sasuke quickly clamped it shut. His mind lit on the wedding ring on his finger.

The two on the phone lapsed into an awkward silence. Sakura was back to worrying her already swollen lips.

As far as Sakura knew (or thought she knew until today), Sasuke shared no close contact with any female other than her. The fact had pleased her so much, she hadn't accounted for the possibility that there _could_ indeed be another girl. The girl might even perhaps share a more intimate relationship than her and Sasuke's camaraderie. Sakura hardened her resolve.

If there was a girl, whoever she might be, Sakura was definitely _not_ going to lose Sasuke to her. The boy meant too much for her to let him go.

Sasuke's silence unnerved Sakura even more. "But you're not, are you?" she asked, just for confirmation. She wasn't aware of the droplet of blood dribbling down her chin—she had accidentally clamped too hard on her bottom lip and pierced the skin.

The next thing she knew was the dull beeping of an unconnected line.

Sasuke had hung up on the other end.

-----

Sasuke could feel the blue of Naruto's questioning gaze on his skin as he placed the receiver back where it belonged. He willed his hands not to shake, but he was sure Naruto detected it anyway.

Sakura had mentioned how everyone that had been to Ino's flower shop was blabbering non-stop about it. The meant people knew. The same people who he was always so careful to keep details of his personal life away from were now the same ones who knew exactly what happened last night.

Ino's parents owned the only flower shop in Konoha, so it was rarely vacant of customers. The girl oftentimes worked the early, opening shifts before she departed to meet her team for a day of missions. So it comes as no surprise when the girl is always one of the first to learn of the latest, juiciest gossips and rumours roaming around town.

Sasuke himself was no stranger to being the star (or, in his opinion, the _prey_) of the stories. The tales were more often untrue or exaggerated to a degree. Of course, that didn't prevent people from believing them. Uchiha was a prominent name in Konoha and being the last of the bloodline inevitably insured gossip following his heels, heightened especially with the massacre. Every little act done by him was taken, magnified, and exaggerated with fictional elements as it was released to the village.

And the tingling sensation in his stomach and a sixth sense told him however farfetched last night's scenario sounded, it didn't stray that far from the truth. He had a hunch last night was the biggest scandal to ever grace the records in both the Uchiha clan and Konoha.

To his chagrin, everything fell into place: waking up with Naruto in the same bed, unclothed to boot, no specific recollection of what transpired last night, with matching wedding rings on their fingers. It all fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

He and Naruto were _married_.

It explained why they were in bed and naked, which lead to the obvious conclusion he wanted to deny. He and Naruto had sex last night and successfully consummated their marriage. Which meant, in the eyes of Konoha's law, he, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto were legally married. Which also meant they couldn't simply annul their marriage with the excuse they made a mistake while under the influence of alcohol. (Sasuke was seldom wrong about many things, but never in his life had he wished he was more wrong about this.) That left, if Sasuke didn't want to have his life tied to one Uzumaki Naruto (which he certainly didn't!), a divorce.

And Sasuke was definitely not going to suffer through a divorce! It was disgraceful, and Sasuke had already shamed himself enough in the eyes of the Uchiha clan by an impulsive, _drunk_ marriage. He was not going to bring another scandal such as divorce into the family name. Divorce, while not uncommon in Konoha, was severely frowned upon by the upper echelons of society. It symbolized instability and weakness—if one couldn't keep a wife or husband at their side, how could they be expected to control a clan?—and the Uchiha was not about to taint his family's glorious honour with his foolishness. To Konoha's noble, aristocratic clans, having a wife or husband leave you was pitiful; mutual separation too was scarcely taken lightly.

But what other choices did Sasuke have? He couldn't spend the remainder of his life with Naruto! (He would never admit it, but Naruto was the only person in Konoha, ninja or civilian, that Sasuke could remotely tolerate for so long.) It was either be married to Naruto or face another disgrace the Uchiha name.

Sasuke finally took notice of the rumpled pieces of clothing scattered carelessly everywhere in his bedroom. He easily picked out the ugly orange jacket Naruto always wore, his own dark blue shirt with the traditional Uchiha crest, Naruto's black sleeveless tank top and more among the discarded articles. There was also, he noted with a blush, his own underwear hastily cast aside before the bed.

He easily dislodged the blonde from atop of him and sat up. The two were now facing each other, rumpled blankets around them. Sasuke suddenly caught himself staring at Naruto's lean, muscled chest and toned torso. Naruto had certainly grown from their D-rank mission days; the years have been exceptionally kind to him too. His skin was bronzed handsomely from working in the sun (something Sasuke's milky white complexion could never compare to). The blonde had bloomed into muscles and had also sprouted a good few inches over the years, standing even taller than Sasuke now.

Sasuke, red-faced, immediately tore his eyes away. Luckily for him, Naruto was unaware of his ogling.

"So," Naruto began curiously, folding his muscled arms across his bare chest, "what did Sakura say?"

"Nothing of importance," murmured Sasuke, cheeks still dusted with pink and eyes fixated elsewhere.

"Didn't sound like 'nothing of importance,' " Naruto mimicked.

Sasuke's cheeks reddened even more. Leave it to Naruto to act immature in a situation like this. Had he been any regular person, he would've sputtered, but Sasuke, with his dignified upbringing, managed to utter a little shakily: "What do you remember of last night, Naruto?"

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, and then stopped. Flashes of the previous night suddenly flickered across his mind. He tipped his head at an angle and frowned in thought. He spoke slowly, his face portraying uncertainty.

"I think I scored last night."

-----

"We're WHAT!"

Sasuke winced at Naruto's loud and obnoxious voice. He should've predicted a reaction similar to this outburst. If it wasn't for the severity of the situation, he might've allowed himself a smirk at the blonde's terror-stricken expression. Naruto's cerulean eyes were impossibly wide and stuck on Sasuke, his jaw dropping, and his mouth hanging open. To Sasuke, he looked almost cute with the three whisker scars on either side of his tanned cheeks, his sunny hair tousled and falling into his eyes. Not that Sasuke would admit it, of course.

A pale hand rose to massage Sasuke's temples. His head was clearer and sharper now, traces of hangover overshadowed by the current predicament. He didn't think Naruto, despite how bright he was at the best of times, would've figured it out even with all the obvious clues, so he had presumed to explain in detail his account of the hours prior. His assumptions were logical and Sakura's earlier phone call only served to confirm them.

Sasuke chose not to reply and simply glared. Naruto, after years of practice deciphering the Uchiha's neutral glares and grunts, understood the look.

"So what can we do?"

"Nothing at the moment. We can't annul it, and we're not getting a divorce," Sasuke replied.

"Why can't we get a divorce?" Blonde eyebrows creased together and made Naruto appear even more adorable to Sasuke. Then it dawned on Naruto, and the previously cute expression was replaced with a smirk. "Geez, Sasuke, if you wanted to marry me, you could've just asked like a normal person."

Sasuke's chilling glare intensified. Snarling (and somehow managing to make it look _elegant_ at the same time to Naruto), he lunged at the other boy. He effortlessly pinned the blonde down despite the bulky muscles Naruto boasted, and, just for good measure, straddled the blonde's waist. White hands held down his shoulders and with their faces scarcely inches away, their breaths mingling, Naruto was now fully subjected to the extents of the Uchiha's bone-chilling glare.

"This is all your fault, Naruto you knucklehead!"

"What? What did I do?" Naruto protested indignantly.

"You… you…" _took my first kiss_ (Sasuke's mind briefly flashed to that humiliating moment during graduation from the Academy)_ and my virginity and now you got me married to you, that's what!_ Sasuke didn't finish—he was too consumed by fury and embarrassment to continue.

Naruto gulped, and a tingle traveled up his spine. His blue eyes roved over Sasuke's furious black eyes, down the white cheeks and the swan-like neck to his collarbone, and stopped. He stared. And stared. "Um…" Naruto mumbled, unsure of how to phrase his words. He pointed a finger at the juncture of Sasuke's throat and collarbone.

The Uchiha raised a hand suspiciously to his throat. His fingertips examined the expense of smooth white skin and brushed against uneven bumps. He suppressed a wince as the touch invoked slight pain. Sasuke followed Naruto's gaze and looked down, almost gasping in surprise.

Trailing from his neck down was a series of light red and purple bruises and bite marks that were no doubt souvenirs from last night. He quickly observed Naruto's neck and chest, and, to his displeasure, found the moron completely free of bites and marks. (Even if Naruto did have them, they would've been gone by now, courtesy of the Kyuubi's swift healing.) His face flamed. Sasuke was sure he had blushed more times this morning than he had in his life. The fact that Naruto had donned a smug smirk underneath him didn't do to mollify his foul mood at all. That bastard is so going to get it once he gets them out of this!

Sasuke needed time to think on this, to reflect and draft a solution; he needed a shower to clear his head from these disturbing thoughts. He pushed off the blonde and bent down in front of the bed to collect his discarded underwear, meanwhile unintentionally giving the blonde an eyeful of his ass. Naruto immediately shot up, his eyes riveted on the alluring view presented to him.

_Wow._ Naruto had never noticed it before, but Sasuke sure did have a very nice bottom. He was never going to look at Sasuke's backside the same way again in missions and training without feeling his eyes drift southward. Funny, how he had missed such a delightful sight for so long—especially since he was Sasuke's own teammate and spent more time than he would've preferred with the aloof boy.

And—he almost whistled wolfishly but caught himself at the last moment in fear of what Sasuke might do to him—the Uchiha had very, very _nice_ legs. They were gorgeously long and slender, and looked so smooth and silky to the touch. They were also white and hairless and seemed to emit an attractive gleam, which promptly evoked a question in Naruto's head. _Does Sasuke shave his legs? Or does he wax?_

Naruto inhaled too sharply and brought a hand up to inspect his nose in case of a nosebleed. Dammit, he was never going to live it down if Sasuke caught him suffering a nosebleed because of the Uchiha's nice bum and great legs. He had heard of shaving or waxing one's legs before; Sakura once explained it to him, saying how girls did it because it made their legs smooth and pretty. Is that what Sasuke does?

He would have to ask the boy sometime. Obviously not now, Sasuke was not in a pleasant mood—though Sasuke in a pleasant mood by regular standards was very rare. He would ask when Sasuke was in a more agreeable attitude. Naruto could only imagine what Sasuke would do to him if he were to approach with that question right now.

Sasuke, still blissfully oblivious to Naruto's blatant staring, slipped on his boxers (his modesty refused to permit parading around nude in front of Naruto despite what they shared last night), and made his way in the direction of the adjoining bathroom. He took one step, and nearly fell over, but managed to balance himself in time. There was an aching between his legs that he was almost surprised he had failed to notice earlier. Well, that just about killed any leftover scepticism whether he and Naruto had sex or not—virgin asses cannot possibly hurt this much. Not that he still doubted whether or not he was still a virgin.

Sasuke didn't need a mirror to confirm the dark shade of crimson on his cheeks. Damn Naruto for making him blush this much! Was it even healthy to blush this much?

Argh! Could this morning get any worse! It couldn't possibly go anymore downhill than it already has. He had woken up naked in bed next to Naruto (that alone was traumatizing); found out he's now _legally_ married to the dope; realized he couldn't just divorce the blockhead; and that they've had sex! (Sex with anyone was enough to distress the Uchiha, let alone Naruto.) Now, for the clincher, his butt hurt and he couldn't even move properly, let alone walk!

Angry and nursing his wounded pride, Sasuke limped the few feet to the bathroom.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?" Naruto asked, concerned, seeing the boy falter in his step and limp his way to the shower. Sasuke never limped and almost never tripped—he was too graceful for that.

Then Naruto understood and couldn't help but start snickering.

His only reply was his own pair of boxers thrown at his face.

-----

It was a little passed dawn when his tired feet entered the main gate of Konoha. The guards on sentry duty immediately recognized the shock of silver hair and allowed him to proceed. Kakashi had been running all night, leaping from branch to branch in the surrounding forest non-stop. There were respectable roads for traveling, but the Jounin always preferred the trees.

He had only been dispatched two days ago and was early. He wasn't expected back for another three or four days, but the mission had gone as smoothly as it could possibly go, so he had acted quickly. Of course, Kakashi wasn't about to let the extra few days go to waste—he planned to spend the time lazing around and catching up on the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise. Everything had just been so hectic recently, and he hadn't had a decent chance to do so much as touch his favourite book. Jounins lived life on edge, and if Kakashi was to perish in his next mission, at least he could go without regrets, knowing what happened in the next edition.

Unlike most ninjas, Kakashi didn't report straight to the Hokage when he returned, but then, the man was never known to be conventional. Rather, he decided sleep was more tempting—he did spend his entire night up continuously moving—and headed instead to his humble apartment. He would write up the mission report and hand it in later. Besides, Iruka's shift wasn't until later in the day. Without the Chuunin there, Kakashi found no incentive to grace the mission room and tended to deliver his mission report as late as three weeks. And that was only because he was being pestered constantly for it.

It wasn't until hours later, almost noon, that Kakashi heard the news. The rumours spread madly like wildfire. Everywhere he went, Kakashi could pick out the gossiping behind his back with the words "Uchiha" and "that Kyuubi boy". There was no doubt his troublesome students, Naruto and Sasuke, had done something while he was away. He would've sighed if he wasn't so accustomed to it. It was at Ichiraku's that he finally learned what happened. He was enjoying a bowl of beef ramen, and what luck! Iruka was there too, just sitting down to order when he spotted the eccentric Jounin and joined him.

"You're back early," Iruka commented politely, aware of the mission Kakashi was sent on.

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "It was easier than expected."

"Oh?"

Few things went by unnoticed by the Jounin; the schoolteacher's troubled demeanour, however subtle, wasn't one of them. He didn't comment on it though. Iruka wasn't one to keep things bothering him bottled in anyway. Kakashi wouldn't have to wait long. And he was right, as only after a few minutes of pleasantries (pointless, in Kakashi's opinion) shared, Iruka swiftly steered the topic around.

"Have you heard about Naruto and Sasuke?"

Kakashi didn't seem fazed. "Those two didn't destroy something, did they?"

"Er… well, no. I guess you don't know then." Iruka's eyebrows furrowed as he eyed his order, pork ramen. He had yet to take a bite of his meal.

"I really don't know how to say this, but… Naruto and Sasuke got married last night. To each other." The schoolteacher turned to witness Kakashi's reaction, waiting for the words to soak in and the shock to showcase.

The Jounin's face, however, remained as passive and indifferent as ever. Iruka suddenly wondered if he had unconsciously discussed the weather instead. Kakashi's presence always had an effect on Iruka's nerves. It wasn't uncommon for him to stutter or say the wrong thing or, quite frankly, act like an idiot around the man.

The Jounin's answer wasn't what Iruka had expected at all.

Kakashi turned back to his food but not before winking at Iruka with his one eye. "It's nice to see them get along for once, don't you agree, Iruka?"

**To Be Continued**


	3. The Arrival of Strangers

So sorry for the long update. I've devised a plan in hopes of updating and posting more often, but it really depends on whether I follow it or not. Thanks to those who've been patient with me. Hopefully, I won't ever have to take this long (four months!) to complete a chapter again.

And I need help deciding. Should Naru and Sasu get it on in the bath? And should Naru kiss Sasu first, or should Sasu kiss Naru first?

By the way, for those restless writers out there wanting a break, I have a NaruSasu fic challenge. Check my profile for details.

**Exploding Stars**

**Chapter 3 The Arrival of Strangers**

"Um… I'm sorry. You must've misunderstood me. What I meant was that Naruto and Sasuke…" Iruka began once he recovered from the shock Kakashi's reply induced. He hesitated, unsure of how to phrase the news. How exactly does one inform a teacher that his two trouble-making charges have, quite frankly, tied the knot last night? Especially when the aforementioned charges happen to be Naruto and Sasuke?

Kakashi was still regarding him with a calm, impassive expression. Iruka briefly wondered if the man ever got fazed by anything. Perhaps not; Kakashi was a Jounin after all, and all Jounins have witnessed more than their share of shock and grief throughout their short years to remain unaffected by some scandalous rumour.

…_Rumour_ as of now because there really was no solid evidence.

Realizing his companion was still awaiting an answer, Iruka cleared his throat and quickly racked his brain. _Joined in holy matrimony last night?_ No, that wouldn't work. _Got hitched?_ Definitely not. _Took their vows? Mated? Became man and… wife?_ (At this moment, Iruka mentally pictured both his ex-students in front of the alter, decked out flawlessly in full wedding wear: Naruto in an impeccable "penguin suit" and Sasuke veiled in a… Iruka immediately banished the image.)

He was interrupted by a shrugging Kakashi, who turned his attention back to his neglected beef ramen. "I've been wondering when the day would come when those two finally got on with it."

"What?" It wasn't until the word was out of his mouth that Iruka realized how undignified it sounded. He swatted himself and regained his composure. _Charming, Umino._

Kakashi quietly sighed. The cute ones were always the most clueless. "I never thought it'd be this soon," he explained lazily, "but with Sasuke and Naruto, you never know what they'll do next." Pushing his finished ramen bowl away, he paid for his meal and shot Iruka a quick, flirtatious wink. As much as he enjoyed the Chuunin's company, he had some business (more accurately, espionage) concerning his students' current disposition to attend to. Smiling, he disappeared with a pop and smoke trailing in his wake.

All this was done so smoothly the poor schoolteacher only had time to blink once. Iruka, spotting Kakashi's empty ramen bowl, groaned out loud in disbelief, earning himself a curious look from the owner of the ramen stand. He kicked himself hard several times.

A chance to see _the_ Hatake Kakashi unmasked had been right in the palm of his hands! Trust his clumsy self to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Whoever had the luck (or skill) to behold whatever was underneath that tantalizing mask would have bragging rights for at least a year. Iruka knew for a fact that even Kakashi's three students have yet to see the Jounin's face. (Naruto had spent a good many meals describing Team Seven's fallible attempts to uncover the cryptic mask.)

Not to mention, Iruka was just _dying_ to see whether Kakashi was as gorgeous as his colleagues wagered.

With a disappointed sigh, he proceeded to finish his now cold pork ramen, all the while puzzling over Kakashi's unsettling words.

-----

The steaming, hot water was heaven to Sasuke. He reclined luxuriously in the overly large bathtub, his head tossed back and his long white neck exposed alluringly. An elegant, pale knee poked out of a sea of thick white foam. Sasuke had never quite grown out of his childish fondness for lavish bubble baths. It soothed and relaxed him especially after a particularly long and exhausting mission. He had originally planned a quick shower, but had changed his mind; he needed time to calm down and clear his head (and to furiously scrub the feel of Naruto off his skin).

His entire body hurt unpleasantly—especially between his legs. He had checked himself in the mirror before stepping into the bath only to discover he had scratch marks on his back as well. Sasuke didn't want to admit it, but Naruto had done quite the number on him last night. Even his hair hurt from all the tugging and hair-pulling he endured.

Who could have possibly guessed Naruto was _this _violent in bed? Sasuke supposed it must come with all the raging, pent-up hormones. Naruto, like him, had probably never done anything even as remotely passionate as a kiss before (excluding their little incident during graduation years ago). The only difference between them was that Sasuke had no interest in romantic or sexual affairs to begin with; whereas Naruto's overt affection for Sakura had often landed him in more trouble than what it was worth. Naruto always wore his heart on his sleeve (as proven by his persistent and more often unwelcome skirt chasing), a trait Sasuke both pitied and admired him for. It was no wonder why Naruto was so _eager_ last night—not that he himself wasn't, because as much as Sasuke wanted to deny it, some part of his memories knew he enjoyed last night _very much_ even if he remembered nothing of it.

But, good sex or not, it still didn't justify Naruto leaving him in such a humiliating state! He was never going to live it down if word got out—and Sasuke was never one to scoff at the frightening powers of rumour and gossip—the he, Uchiha Sasuke, had so many hickeys he could pass for a leopard. His usual dark blue shirt with the high collar wouldn't be enough to cover the embarrassing bite marks. Sasuke could already picture Sakura's horror and Kakashi's amusement perfectly in his mind.

Damn Naruto for sleeping with him. Damn Kyuubi's extraordinary healing powers. And damn Naruto's stamina!

…Which promptly caused Sasuke to blush for the umpteenth time that morning (He didn't even know it was possible for such pale complexion to be so red.) and reach for his collection of expensive, imported soap and shampoo bottles.

For the next half hour, Sasuke washed his hair and scrubbed his body, being extra gentle with the bites and bruises all over his chest and collarbone. Frowning in contemplation, he turned over their current dilemma in his head while basking in the comfort the hot, soothing water provided.

_Naruto…_

Sasuke had never dedicated much thought to marriage before, though the significant need to revive his deceased bloodline had always been on his agenda. However, if he were to marry someone and resurrect the proud, noble Uchiha clan, he would have to wed a girl. And Sasuke knew for a fact he didn't like girls. They were too clingy and annoying (sometimes even beating Naruto in that department and that was _really_ saying something). And if six years with Sakura as teammate was any indication, girls had a knack for getting themselves _in_ trouble but never _out_. From what he had learned, apparently girls liked playing helpless and vulnerable in moments of danger and distress. Sasuke couldn't bear their high, shrill voices either. Frankly, like Shikamaru said, girls were too troublesome to handle.

So marrying girls was out of the question for Sasuke. But marrying boys? That would completely defeat the purpose of marriage for Sasuke in the first place, which was to breed more Uchihas to carry on the Sharingan. Usually in the past, if his train of thought had arrived at this point, Sasuke would dismiss it immediately and concentrate on more pressing matters. However, as of right now, there was nothing more urgent than this.

He was _married_, for God sakes. And to Naruto, no less.

Questions instantly bubbled inside his mind, multiplying in spades in a fraction of a second.

What was he to do for children? Was he obliged to give up ever having children and his duty of rekindling the Uchiha bloodline? (Truthfully, it wasn't a sore loss for Sasuke. He didn't like children, and having little, hyperactive brats running around underfoot were the second to last thing he wanted—the first being married to Naruto, of course.) Could he tolerate Naruto enough to spend the remainder of his life with him? And if he couldn't live with the blonde, could he really go through the dishonour of a divorce? What if he ended up falling for someone else? (_Heh_, Sasuke rolled his eyes, _not likely._)

But what if Naruto fell in love with somebody else? What would he do then? Sasuke quickly discarded the thought. He realized he didn't particularly like contemplating the idea of Naruto in love with another person.

His ponderings strayed toward his family. What would his parents think if they were alive to see their youngest child married to the village outcast? (It could be worse. Naruto could be one of those annoying, obsessive stalkers blindly infatuated with him.) His parents would be so disappointed. They, like regular parents, probably expected him to grow up, marry a nice girl from a respected family, and raise half a dozen bouncing Uchiha babies. His father would expect him to take over the family business, and his mother to provide her with grandchildren. Sadly, their idea of a "happily ever after" was not going to happen anytime soon, if ever, as far as Sasuke could see on the horizon.

And what would Itachi say if he were to hear of this? Of course, Sasuke didn't consider him family anymore after that mentally-scarring stunt he pulled years ago, but Sasuke still wondered what his clan-murdering psychopath of a brother would do if he knew. Sasuke had wisely learned to never underestimate the lengths of which a _very sane_ (It is always the _sane_ ones that are far more lethal, especially when they're psychotic.) member of an infamous criminal organization was capable of going to.

A bold, heavy knock on the door abruptly interrupted him. Before he could react, the door opened and in blew a shirtless Naruto with a gust of cool air.

Scowling, Sasuke sunk deeper into his bubble bath so that his chin touched the white foam and shot Naruto a scathing glare. "What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

"Um," Naruto began sheepishly, one hand nervously scratching the back of his head, "I can't find the other bathrooms." Sasuke didn't blame him. The Uchiha residence was exceptionally large, and it was easy for a stranger unfamiliar with the house to become hopelessly lost.

"Well, I need a bath too…" the blonde lamely finished.

Fortunately, Sasuke picked up on the unspoken implication. "So? Wait outside until I'm done."

"You've been in here for more than an hour, Sasuke, and it's noon! Just share the damn bathtub, will ya?" Naruto, who was never patient, was growing irritated. "Your bathtub is huge, anyway."

More than an hour? Had he been in here that long? "There's no way I'm sharing a bath with you," Sasuke declared, managing the right degree of a growl to end the conversation. As childish as it sounded, this was his bubble bath, his sanctuary, and he wasn't going to share it with Naruto even if they were married.

However, as usual, Naruto either didn't detect the note of hostility or was so accustomed to it, it didn't affect him anymore. Sasuke's bark was worse than his bite—most of the time, anyway. "Don't be so selfish. It's not like we've never bathed together before." Naruto was right; they've been to hot springs before to unwind after a particularly gruelling mission. "Besides," the blonde added as an afterthought, "we've seen each other naked, right? I mean, after last night, there's not going be any surprises there." With that said, Naruto stripped off his boxers, which, Sasuke noted, was green with yellow supernovas. It suited the dolt to a T, in his opinion.

Sasuke modestly averted his gaze. "I said I'm not having a bath with you. This is _my_ house," he mumbled stubbornly, though he could hear his resolve crumbling. It was useless. Once Naruto made up his mind, it was difficult to change it, and Sasuke was currently too weary to bother.

"Aw, come on. Don't be such a bastard, Sasuke. We're married, anyway, so I think I have a right to bathe with you. It's not like I'm gonna grope you." _Much_, Naruto silently added as he remembered the bewitching sight of Sasuke's posterior. He climbed into the large bathtub behind Sasuke.

As if reading his mind, Sasuke stiffened. "Pervert!"

"Hey! You try having both Kakashi and Jiraiya as teachers and not turn out one!" Naruto countered, a red tinge unfurling across his tanned cheeks. "Like I was going to anyway," he muttered darkly under his breath.

That successfully silenced the Uchiha. Naruto had a valid point. Studying under the tutelages of both Jiraiya and Kakashi, one the notorious creator of the Icha Icha Paradise series and the other an avid fan of the books, Naruto would be an astounding specimen if he didn't emerge a pervert.

"Whatever. Just make yourself useful and wash my back." Sasuke unceremoniously handed the lathering sponge to Naruto. Just because he had to share his wonderful bubble bath didn't mean he had to be courteous about it.

Naruto was only too happy to oblige.

-----

All morning the streets of Konoha were alive with a frenzy that was distinguishable from the regular hustle and bustle of morning. From every angle and direction, every main street and dusty alley, rumour and gossip reigned supreme. By noon, there was scarcely anyone, from senior to toddler, who hasn't heard of the latest scandal involving Uchiha Sasuke. The only question that remained on everyone's minds was the identity of the lucky soul that the Uchiha wedded.

Suspicions arose all across town and bets were erected. A third of the wagers suspected Haruno Sakura, which was a reasonably logical choice, considering that she was the only eligible female Sasuke came into contact with on a daily basis. The romantics declared that Sasuke, wanting to protect his beloved from the jealousy of his obsessive fans, eloped with her in secret, and that the mysterious bride was just a humble, pretty tavern girl, neither ninja nor well known. Some even suspected the sweet, shy Hyuuga Hinata with good reason too. The Uchihas and Hyuugas were noble clans with powerful bloodline limits, and it wouldn't be shocking if Sasuke took a bride from a strong, prominent family.

There were also many various reactions, ranging from unadulterated envy to sheer indifference. The elders of Konoha were only relieved that there would be a new generation of genius Uchihas and the legacy of the Sharingan would be ensured. Others, mostly young women green with envy, either vehemently denied the rumours or were too busy plotting the unpleasant demise of "Sasuke's bride."

Only a tiny handful, namely Iruka and Naruto's drinking buddies, suspected it was the obnoxious blonde that the Uchiha married.

But for the two strangers relaxing in one of Konoha's teahouses, they have yet to hear of today's gossip. They've certainly noticed, of course, the increased activity in the streets and the buzzing of the grapevine at work this morning.

Their waitress, a bubbly, blushing girl, set down their orders with nervous, trembling hands: green tea with dango and some fish snacks. She chanced a glimpse under the wide-brimmed straw hat of the shorter figure, but all she could see were shadows. She had immediately taken notice of the two mysterious strangers as soon as they stepped foot into the teahouse. The couple almost looked ridiculous side-by-side, one being taller than his companion by more than a head. One glance had informed her they were foreigners, and their peculiar attire—swathing, full-length black cloaks embroidered with red clouds and straw hats attached with strips of paper—had readily invoked her curiosity. There was an aura of hidden strength and unspoken authority surrounding them—they were undoubtedly shinobi although she couldn't see their headbands to determine where they were from.

The shorter of the two gestured toward a table some distance away occupied by a group of babbling girls. "What are they talking about?" His words were surprisingly clear and articulate (She had almost expected an exotic accent.) and his voice was deep with a hint of danger that shot tingles down her spine.

"Huh?" The girl, stunned by the low, sexy voice, quickly snapped back to her senses. She paused to listen to the conversation at the other table though she already had an idea of what it was about.

"…I just hope it's not that pink-haired girl on his team. That is so _un_fair."

"I know! Besides, I'm so much prettier than her. She's so ugly with that big forehead of hers!"

"But who do you think Sasuke chose?"

"I don't know, but I heard it's some blonde. Probably a ditzy bimbo."

"Do you think Sasuke goes for blondes? Should I dye my hair blonde…"

The conversation digressed to whether the redhead that spoke should dye her hair blonde or not.

Figuring the two strangers weren't aware of the news, the waitress explained on a depressed note, "You know Uchiha Sasuke? The only, remaining Uchiha after his brother went berserk and killed them all?" Was it her imagination or did the shorter stranger just twitch? She ignored it and went on, "Rumour has it he eloped last night with some girl. Took us all by surprise. You see, he may be hot but he's never shown any interest in anyone." She concluded dejectedly with a sniff and hurried off to find a tissue to wipe her oncoming tears.

Once she was out of earshot did the taller one finally speak, "Isn't that your little brother, Itachi?"

His colleague, Itachi, sipped his green tea and nodded. He reached for the dango he ordered.

"So your little brother got himself hitched, eh?" The taller, Kisame, grinned mischievously, munching on a fishcake.

"It would seem so."

"Who do you think it is? That pink girl he's always with?"

"No." Itachi's deep voice suddenly plummeted in degrees. He lifted his chin just slightly enough so Kisame could catch a brief glimpse of those enchanting blood-red irises and swirling pupils under the hat brim.

"I _know_ who my little brother married."

**To Be Continued**


	4. Bathtub Kisses and Ramen

This chapter is more romantic for those of you waiting for something to happen. It gets the story along anyway. It's originally supposed to be longer, but I cut off some parts. I'm gonna post up a deleted scenes chapter after I finish the story. Sorry again for the long delay! But now that summer's here, I'll be able to post more often.

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers for being so patient with me. And just for the record, I love long reviews. And thanks for all the story ideas some of you contributed. Especially to Milk and her sex tape idea.

By the way, I'm still having my fic challenge. Check my profile.

**Exploding Stars**

**Chapter 4 Bathtub Kisses and Ramen**

The warm, soapy hands on his back were surprisingly gentle as they glided across his skin with the lathering sponge. Sasuke unconsciously leaned back, his eyes involuntarily fluttering closed as he relaxed into the comforting touch. The hands massaged his shoulders and stroked his spine, pressing and kneading his muscles in just the right places. More than once, Sasuke had to bite his lip to prevent a moan from escaping.

Who knew Naruto could be this gentle with his hands?

It was wonderfully soothing, but Sasuke wasn't about to give Naruto the satisfaction of knowing that. The dolt already thought he was _something_ when he saw the impressive work done on Sasuke's body. Naruto certainly pulled no stops when it came to upping his rival and rubbing it in.

The blonde, however, was oblivious to the effect his caressing invoked. He was busy chattering, unaware that Sasuke wasn't paying him any attention.

"…So, Sasuke, I was thinking since you don't want to divorce me and all, we could just talk to the old hag, you know? We'll tell her it's just an accident, and she'll understand. And since she's the Hokage, she can pronounce us unmarried," Naruto chatted lightly as if impulsive marriages were ordinary occurrences.

"…So after we eat breakfast—er, lunch—we're going to see Tsunade. Got it?"

Sasuke ignored him. He was too preoccupied with wondering what had prompted him to have a tumble in bed with Naruto. In his opinion, Naruto was rough and clumsy, though Sasuke knew some girls found that rugged quality attractive. Even now with his ninja stealth and grace, Naruto was anything but smooth and suave.

In short, Naruto was stupid, obnoxious, and unrefined. He once held the title of Konoha's Number One Loudest Ninja after all. Sasuke would've added 'useless' and 'pathetic' to the list, but even he had to admit Naruto pulled his weight at times. But, all in all, what was so attractive about the moron?

…Which was why Sasuke could not understand how he could have engaged in _such_ activities with the blonde hours ago. Sure, he had been too drunk to maintain good judgement, but _to sleep with Naruto_!

Sasuke didn't even like alcohol in the first place. He disliked the strong, vile taste and even more how it transformed respectable men into blubbering idiots. He never quite understood the appeal of drinking until losing consciousness or the monstrous hangover the next morning. He'd never even drunk so much before, so he was certain his alcoholic limits weren't to be admired. The most alcohol he'd ever had were only a few sips of sake that his father had allowed him to sample back when he was eight. But his distaste for liquor still didn't explain why he had done what he did.

It was driving him nuts. He had to know! He had to know what made him do something as foolish as to give away his virginity to a dense, oafish, and certainly undeserving _Uzumaki Naruto_. He had been perfectly happy being a virgin. And now Naruto had to ruin it for him just like when they were children!

So what if Naruto was good in bed! Sasuke certainly didn't know that before he—did he dare say it?—_eagerly_ hopped into bed and indulged in a nice romp in the blankets.

And now Naruto was officially his hus… husb… _significant other._

…Did he dare?

Summoning up his courage, Sasuke turned around in the bathtub and grasped Naruto's face with two hands. In one swift movement, he forced a surprised Naruto ("Sasuke? Wha—?") closer and they met in an awkward kiss. Their noses banged and Sasuke missed his target, landing instead at the corner of Naruto's lips. Pressed up against him, Sasuke could feel the blonde stiffen as the two registered what had just happened.

Both of them could feel the heat rising on their cheeks, but Sasuke stubbornly refused to pull away. His hands still clasped either side of Naruto's head and he was vaguely aware he was all but sitting on the blonde's lap, nestled in those tense arms. The round, bright blue eyes stared back at him in shock only a couple of dizzying inches away. He squeezed his eyes shut in reply and shifted, pressing his mouth harder against the blonde's.

He hadn't expected Naruto's lips to be this soft. He could feel the surprise radiating off the blonde—he himself was beyond astounded at what he had just done. Kissing Naruto was nowhere near what he'd imagined. It wasn't at all a good kiss, Sasuke knew, but it was almost… nice. He could easily get used to kissing Naruto. Was this what he felt last night? Was this feeling what led him to proceed further with Naruto?

_NO!_ The instinct at the back of Sasuke's mind screamed. _This is Naruto! You can't enjoy kissing Naruto!_

Finally, the need for air grew too much and Sasuke pulled away slightly. His lips were a delectable shade of rouge now and his eyelids were suddenly thick and heavy.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Here was Sasuke looking so pretty, his dark eyes gazing behind his thick, long eyelashes and his lips slightly parted. His cheeks were tinged with pink, and Naruto was suddenly reminded of a pretty porcelain doll—white, fragile, and lovely. The next thing either of them knew was Naruto closing in, closing the small distance between, and their mouths were again connected. The blonde, angling his head, wrapped his arms around and shifted Sasuke into a more comfortable position.

This time the kiss was gentler and less clumsy. The blonde gradually became bolder once he felt Sasuke respond. The Uchiha, eyes closed, almost jumped when he felt something warm and wet line his lips. It didn't take long before suddenly—Sasuke realized with alarm—he and Naruto were _truly_ kissing, lip against lip and tongue against tongue. Even worse, Sasuke found himself actually _liking_ Naruto's kisses.

_Where did Naruto learn to kiss like that?_ A fuzzy section of his mind wondered a little jealously. _Or do that with his tongue?_

"Having fun?" A drawl interrupted them out of the blue.

-----

Well, wasn't this interesting? Kakashi's visible eye crinkled happily. He crossed his arms across his chest and smiled through his mask at his two students. They haven't noticed him yet though he had poofed into the spacious bathroom an entire two minutes ago.

The scene, he decided, was rather cute and romantic (and so sugary sweet Kakashi could feel his teeth ache). Who would've imagined that Naruto and Sasuke, acclaimed rivals extraordinaire, would be _making out_ in a _bubble bath_ the morning after they got married? It reminded Kakashi too much of a horribly cheesy episode from a mushy, plotless paperback romance. (The kind that he knew Gai read religiously and was too proud and overzealous to deny it. Heck, even Kurenai wasn't _that_ girly. Though Kakashi shouldn't be one to talk about booklovers; after all, he himself was a faithful and devoted fan of the Icha Icha Paradise series.)

At first he had, out of consideration, done nothing but stand, hands in pockets and slouching. He had appeared with a particularly loud pop, which obviously hadn't been loud enough. Then he had waited patiently—and Kakashi could certainly exercise patience very well—mutely wondering how long it would take for his shinobi students to sense a third presence in the vicinity. After the first minute, however, the steam and heat of the bathroom started to affect him and he cleared his throat acutely. When he still failed to capture the attention of the smooching pair, he briefly wondered if their incapability of detecting a third party as a shinobi reflected on his teaching. But Kakashi knew he had been a good teacher—even when punctuality was foreign to him and he sometimes neglected his students in favour of the next chapter of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Having fun?" he teased, finally fed up. It wasn't as if he was making an effort to remain concealed. He could've been a criminal for all they knew. Heck, by now he could've slit their throats and left them for dead in the luxurious bubble bath.

Sasuke broke away first and turned to face the source of the voice. The sudden movement caused him to slip on Naruto's lap and rub sensuously against the blonde, issuing a low, throaty moan from Naruto. When his glazed eyes finally focused in on the intruder, Sasuke froze in his position. Naruto, dazed, followed Sasuke's gaze to the Jounin.

"Kakashi!" It took a moment for both their expressions to turn embarrassed and slightly guilty, which only made Kakashi chortle. How many times in the past had he seen these faces?

"I can see you two are getting along fine."

Sasuke scowled, but the effect was ruined by his flushing cheeks. Naruto blushed too though his expression was almost sheepish.

"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded rudely, frank and to the point as always.

"Can't a teacher see his students for no reason at all?"

"No. Now can you please leave?" Sasuke was unusually annoyed. Knowing Kakashi, he never _just_ wanted to see his students, and Sasuke had learned quickly the Jounin usually had one or several ulterior motives up his sleeve when he used that excuse.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So impolite. I taught you manners, didn't I, Sasuke? Anyway, I came here because I heard something very _interesting_ this morning. Would you two happen to know what I'm talking about?"

"…_Maybe…"_

"Is that so? I'd love to stay and chat, but I don't think this is quite the right place or time." The Jounin raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Naruto and Sasuke's current state of nudity. The Uchiha shifted uncomfortably and sank lower into the white bubbles. "I suppose you're both hungry, no?"

The blonde's stomach promptly answered with a painfully loud growl. Nodding with satisfaction, Kakashi continued, "I will be waiting for you two at Ichiraku's." As further incentive, he added, "You wouldn't turn down a chance for free ramen, would you, Naruto? And I suggest you two go see the Hokage as well."

Kakashi made ready to disappear, but paused as if remembering something. He winked suggestively at the tub's occupants. "Play safe, you two." Then he swiftly vanished with a poof, but not before catching sight of Sasuke's cute reaction to the innuendo.

"Mm… free ramen. I'm starving," Naruto declared, climbing out of the bathtub. Sasuke could already see the thoughts of ramen filling Naruto's mind as his lips broke into an unconscious grin. His gaze absently lowered, past the tanned ridged stomach and black swirl seal. The Uchiha quickly looked away as he realized with a start Naruto's impressive manhood was almost right in his face.

_Don't look. Don't look._

From his peripheral vision, he could make out Naruto searching for a small towel to dry his shaggy hair. He wanted to yell at Naruto for not getting a large towel to cover up first, but it wouldn't do much difference. He had caught a quick glimpse before he had averted his eyes, and the sight only sharply reminded him of the ache between his legs.

No wonder his butt hurt so much this morning. Naruto is definitely… _well-endowed_. And knowing Naruto's impossibly endless stamina…

Noticing Sasuke's discomfort, Naruto said sarcastically, "Sasuke, I don't have anything you don't. No need to be shy now." Then, in a voice and smirk befitting a fox's sly nature, "You can look all you want."

Sasuke glowered. "Just get dressed!"

-----

The trip to Ichiraku's Ramen was relatively short from the Uchiha residence, only a few blocks away. The liveliness of morning activities had died down, and the main avenues of Konoha weren't as crowded as hours prior. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, Sasuke estimated the time to be slightly past noon, maybe around one in the afternoon. His stomach was tight with hunger and the aching in his butt only made him grouchier than usual. Every step he took was painful, and Sasuke had to concentrate on walking casually and not wincing.

_Uchihas don't limp. Uchihas don't limp._ Sasuke chanted the mantra inside his head, taking small steps and struggling not to stagger. _Stupid Naruto! Why did he have to be so rough?_ Sasuke cursed under his breath.

Sensing Sasuke's difficulty, Naruto felt slightly guilty and gently took hold of Sasuke's arm in a gesture of support. The Uchiha madly wrenched his arm away and levelled a patented glower at the blonde.

Naruto scowled back. He was just trying to help, and what does he get in return? Definitely not gratitude. This is proof that bastards like Sasuke will always remain bastards.

"I'm fine. I don't need _your_ pity," Sasuke spat out, stressing the "your" distinctively.

Naruto's scowl deepened. "Well, sor-_ry._ You don't have to bite my head off for offering to help, you know."

"I didn't ask for your help. I didn't need it last night, and I certainly don't need it now!"

Now Naruto was truly ticked off. "What do you mean my 'help'? You _seduced_ me!" He was immediately reminded of the long, gleaming white legs that seemed to go on forever. Then the way those legs crossed demurely over one another… Dear Hokage, he was going to start salivating soon—and over that bastard's mighty fine legs to boot. And he has definitely seen a lot of fine legs during his period of studying under Jiraiya.

"I did not! You were the one who took advantage of me!"

"What! Let's get this straight, Sasuke, you bastard. I would never in a million years 'take advantage of you' in that way," Naruto growled out.

"What else do you call getting me drunk and married and into bed with you?"

"What? You think I actually wanted to do it with you? Don't flatter yourself, you bastard. I wouldn't do it with you even if you were the last living, breathing person in the world. You were the one who came onto me yesterday!"

"What do you mean 'came onto you'? I'd sooner seduce that… that Kabuto than you!" Sasuke spat. That was low and Sasuke knew it.

Naruto bristled. "Oh yeah? What do you call that stunt you pulled in the bathtub?" _Ha, take that!_ The blonde silently congratulated himself on his sharp comeback.

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously though his cheeks tinged pink. "What of it? As I recall, you enjoyed it." Thoughts of how pleasant the kisses were resurfaced, and Sasuke forcefully pushed them back.

"Yeah, well… well, you started it! Admit it, Sasuke. You _like_ me." Naruto folded his arms and broke into a smug grin.

"W-What are you talking about? You insisted on joining me in my bath!" Sasuke prayed that Naruto didn't notice his stutter. Along with limping, Uchihas simply did not stutter.

"That's because you were taking too long. I need a bath too, you know. And haven't you ever heard of water conservation? It's not easy or cheap getting water to Konoha all the way from the Water Country." Naruto finished his speech by childishly sticking out his tongue.

Sasuke only scowled darkly. He knew Naruto was right, which only made his mood worsen. "You're not exactly a prize catch, okay? I'd rather marry Shikamaru instead. At least he's no idiot." _On second thought, he's way too lazy._

"…That's it! Shikamaru's smart! He's bound to know what happened last night. That's it, we're going to find Shikamaru after we go visit the old hag. And that is after we eat some ramen first, of course." Naruto absently rubbed his stomach.

Then just like that Naruto's mounting annoyance dissipated as his eyes landed on his childhood sanctuary, Ichiraku's Ramen. The chef behind the counter, Ichiraku, was busy wiping the tabletop. Business had been great so far and it was just slightly past noon. Business had in fact been so good that he'd run out of his regular supplies twice and had to send his daughter to purchase more. It was all thanks to the Uchiha's unexpected elopement. There had been more than twice the amount of his regular clientele, all wide-eyed and eager for juicy gossip. The Uchiha's marriage had quickly become a favourite controversial topic among everyone from young to old in only a matter of hours. The chef couldn't wait to express his sincerest gratitude once the Uchiha arrives.

And there they were—a cheerful, exuberant Naruto dragging a reluctant Sasuke by the arm. Ichiraku waved at them with his towel.

"Congratulations, Sasuke!" He greeted with a smile once they plopped down on the stools. "And how's my favourite customer doing?"

"Thank you, sir," Sasuke politely nodded.

"Fine, fine, old man. Never been better. Though I _am_ really hungry. Better give me nine of your best ramen!" Naruto toothily grinned. Ichiraku resisted the urge to reach out his hand and ruffle the wild, unkempt blonde locks. The little, mischievous boy he knew years ago was now a proud young man, and such a fatherly gesture would not be appropriate. Time went by too fast—it seemed only yesterday that Naruto had earned his headband, the badge of Konoha ninja, and was busy polishing off seven continuous bowls of miso ramen at Iruka's expense. Now Sasuke is married and he suspects Naruto will soon be too. They were growing up too fast, in his opinion. Or maybe he was just getting old.

"Coming right up. And you, son?"

"Just a pork ramen with miso please."

"All right. Don't worry about paying either, you two. It's the least I can do for all you've given me," the chef winked. Turning to Sasuke, he continued, "Really, you have no idea how happy you've made this old man. I didn't think it would happen so soon." _Or at all. _"But you've certainly put this old man's worries to rest. Not just me too! From now on, the Uchiha legacy will be secure."

The chef turned his back as he boiled water and prepared the vegetables. "I must say, we've had our doubts. We were so worried you'd be the last of them."

Sasuke visibly tensed. He knew what the chef meant by 'we'. They had been waiting all this time for him to resurrect his clan. What would this kind ramen chef say if he found out the whole truth behind his supposed 'marriage'?

"Allow an old man to indulge his curiosity. If I may ask, who is the girl?" Ichiraku craned his neck over his shoulder to smile warmly at Sasuke.

"He is," Naruto answered lazily, his chin resting on his palm.

Under the counter, Sasuke reflexively landed a smooth, hard kick with all the power and strength of a high class shinobi on Naruto's shin. The blonde yelped in surprise, lost his balance on the round stool, and landed in a disgraceful heap on the ground, clutching his throbbing leg in agony. Cursing colourfully, he scowled up at Sasuke.

"What was that for?" Naruto yelled indignantly. Sasuke, leaning on his elbow, was deliberately turned away from him. Pointedly ignoring his screaming companion, Sasuke tried to fight off the angry and embarrassed blush that was threatening to conquer his face.

"Naruto?" Ichiraku peered over the polished tabletop in surprise.

Naruto only groaned and dragged himself back onto his seat, making a childish face at Sasuke's back.

Ten minutes later, Ichiraku positioned two large, steaming bowls of ramen in front of the couple—pork with miso for Sasuke and beef with egg for Naruto. Both swiftly dug in—Naruto ravenously slurped up half the contents of the bowl in one go while Sasuke ate in what seemed to be a painfully restrained manner.

_Poor boys. They probably haven't eaten since yesterday_, Ichiraku eyed them with worry. The two had moved their faces close to their bowls so that their chopsticks wouldn't have to travel as much distance. It was almost amusing how Sasuke forced himself out of dignity to bite, chew, and swallow instead of slurping up the noodles in rapid succession. Minutes later, Naruto polished off the first of his nine bowls and started on his second.

By the time Naruto was on his fourth, Sasuke had finished his noodles and was calmly sipping his soup. It wasn't until Naruto's sixth bowl that the blonde started slowing down, his primal hunger half-satisfied. Now just the two of them—the ramen chef had gone to serve his other customers—Naruto suddenly broke the silence.

"Look, Sasuke, I'm sorry," he ground out between clutched teeth, taking Sasuke by surprise.

"What?" Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. Was the loudmouthed, bird-brained Naruto actually apologizing?

"I'm sorry, okay?" Naruto repeated.

"For what?"

Naruto trained his eyes on a spot on the countertop as he replied, "For hurting you. F-For being so rough."

Sasuke was dumbstruck. Was Naruto actually apologizing for being such an animal? That would certainly be the first time.

Then Naruto abruptly jolted in his seat as something struck his memory.

"Hey, old man!" he called out.

Ichiraku looked up from where he was chopping vegetables. "Yes?"

"Where's Kakashi?"

"Your teacher? Oh, that reminds me, he left this for you." The chef fished in his pocket and produced a small folded piece of paper. Naruto unfolded it.

Sure enough, it was Kakashi's familiar messy scrawl. It was written in ninja shorthand that both Sasuke and Naruto recognized. The message was short, frank, and unsigned—evidence of Kakashi's laziness.

_Something came up. I'll see you tonight. Enjoy your meal and don't forget to go see the Hokage. I'm giving you two newlyweds the week off to enjoy your honeymoon. _

_P.S. Better run quickly!_

A smiley face was crudely drawn after the first part. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.

"Honeymoon? What does he mean by 'honeymoon'?" Sasuke snarled. "And what the hell does he mean by 'better run quickly'!"

Beside him, Sasuke could hear Naruto gulp audibly.

"Uh… I think he means _that._"

The Uchiha looked up and followed Naruto's gaze down the street. He too swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in his throat.


	5. The Honeymooners' Hideaway

Here is chapter five! Enjoy and thanks for everyone who's reviewed this story!

I'm also going to take down my fic challenge either before or sometime in September. I've received a lot of acceptances but haven't seen any actual work, so I'm going to take it down soon.

**Exploding Stars **

**Chapter 5 The Honeymooners' Hideaway **

Standing as proud and straight as a green arrow in the distance was the unmistakable Maito Gai, arms folded and grinning toothily. His pearly teeth gave off a shine and he made a show of winking at Sasuke, whose hands were suddenly cold and clammy. Beside Gai's lean figure was his ever present and faithful protégé, Rock Lee, who also winked and flashed a thumb-up. Sasuke was suddenly thankful of having Naruto in between him and the eccentric, green-clad duo. At least, if Gai and Lee came after him, he could always sacrifice the blonde and buy himself a head start in the opposite direction.

There was an abrupt green and black blur, and the next thing Sasuke knew, Lee had his arms tightly secured around his waist and was sobbing uncontrollably. Gai, his arm swung around Sasuke's neck, also had thick rivulets of tears running down his cheeks.

"Ahh, young love! Such a sweet thing should be cherished forever. So pure and beautiful—it makes my heart ache!" Gai declared passionately, his hold unconsciously tightening around Sasuke's throat, causing the Uchiha to almost gag as his windpipe was squeezed painfully.

"Yes, t-teacher! I-It's j-just so… so touching," agreed Lee, who buried his wet face into Sasuke's shoulder.

"Sasuke, promise me that you'll treasure and protect her forever! For she must be the rarest of jewels to have caught the eye of an Uchiha! Not to mention, she'll soon be the unlucky target of many broken hearts in Konoha. Promise me!"

"I p-promise," Sasuke choked out.

"It is the perfect season for mating. Love is in the very air we breathe in. Even the animals are mating, you know!"

_Especially that stupid, perverted fox over there_, Sasuke wanted to say, but only managed, "L-Let me g-go…" He struggled, trying to free his arm, but his attempts were futile against Lee's relentless grip. He glanced at Naruto and was even more irritated at the happy smirk Naruto was sporting at his misfortune. He should've fed Naruto to the duo and made a break for it when he had the chance.

"S-Sasuke, I-I'd j-just like to c-congratulate you. I never t-thought…" Lee's voice faltered as he succumbed to another bout of tears.

"Me too! It moves me deeply how you married her in secret out of love and consideration for her safety." Gai finally removed his arm—only to deliver a hard clap to Sasuke's back. "You have no idea how much I'm dying to see the beautiful children!"

"Oh, S-Sasuke, you know h-how much I care," Lee sniffed, "about S-Sakura. I g-guess I just w-want to…" another sniff and a gulp, "thank you for taking care of her…"

Naruto snorted. Sasuke immediately felt guilty for all the times he'd mistreated his teammate. Then remembered how much of an annoyance—_she just doesn't get that he doesn't care about her like that_—Sakura had been and his guilt readily ceased.

"…and to w-wish you g-good l-luck with your… your _wife_." The last word was uttered awkwardly as if the concept of Sasuke actually having a wife had just sunk in.

"Yes, of course. That is why we—"

_"SASUKEEEE!"_ A shrill shriek pierced the air.

Sasuke cringed. Naruto plugged his ears. Both Lee and Gai were frozen in shock.

Rapidly approaching them down the street was a stampede of determined girls ranging from furious to vengeful to heartbroken. The ground beneath them rumbled and shook with their thunderous footsteps. Sasuke felt his face drain of colour and his knees go jelly-like. Thankfully, Lee was still clutching him in that impossible vice-like grip of his.

Oh Hokage, _anything_ but fangirls! Of all the evildoers and criminal masterminds Sasuke had ever had the fortune of coming across, fangirls were the absolute worst. They were merciless and obsessive _and_ civilians. You couldn't simply fight back—the only thing you could do when pursued by besotted fangirls was to run away and pray your stamina lasted. And as Sasuke knew from many past experiences, fangirls were uncannily clever and deadly persistent. They could sniff you out if you remain in a place too long and their stalking skills were almost on par with a high-classed ninja's. And once they got you, there was no escape.

"SASUKEEE!" They chorused again. If Sasuke wasn't so used to it, he might have even trembled at their battle cry.

Oh no! The distance was swiftly closing in. Sasuke would have to act fast if he didn't want to fall prey to the savage fangirls. And Sasuke had a hunch that this time would be the worst of all past pursuits.

Beside the Uchiha, Naruto was snickering quietly. Sasuke was certainly in for it. Serves the damn bastard right! And Sasuke always thought he was such a good ninja and better than Naruto. Well, for all the skills and talent and utter _luck_ Sasuke possessed, he couldn't even deal with _girls_. The blonde glanced at his mate. Sasuke certainly didn't look too good—his wide eyes were threatening to pop out of their sockets and his face was too pale even with his milky complexion.

_Hee hee, what a poor bastard, having all these crazy fangirls wanting to kill him,_ Naruto thought gleefully. _…Wait a minute. These girls don't want to kill him—they want to kill who the bastard married. Which is me! …SHIT!_

His mind blank except for the oncoming danger, Naruto acted strictly out of reflex. He tore away a petrified Lee from Sasuke and, in one smooth move, hoisted Sasuke onto a strong shoulder. Knocking aside a too-stunned-to-move Gai easily, the blonde dashed down the dusty street as fast as he could with the Uchiha balanced precariously on his shoulder.

Naruto didn't know how long he had been running and dodging flying objects (mostly kunai, though there was the odd shoe and tomato). It must have been nearly twenty minutes, he supposed. He wasn't tired—his stamina and endurance were legendary, after all—though his annoyance was multiplying exponentially. Why was he doing this again? He should've just tossed Sasuke to the girls when he had the chance.

…Why not? It's not like Sasuke was grateful for his heroic actions if the incessant pounding on his back and demands of "Let me down, idiot!" meant anything. Saving his own skin—

"Don't you dare even think about _that_!" Sasuke suddenly snarled.

Naruto scowled though the Uchiha couldn't see. "First you want me to put you down and now you don't? Make up your mind, you jerk!"

"Just keep on going! They're getting closer."

Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What are you doing! GO!" Sasuke screamed, punching the blonde's muscled back. _He better not do what I think he's going to do!_

It was embarrassing asking for the moron's help, but it was the only way if Sasuke wanted to survive this chase alive and unscathed. His butt hurt too much for him to even walk so running was completely out of the question.

The stampede of fangirls was quickly approaching them, a large cloud of dust trailing in their wake. Naruto was still not moving. Sasuke heard Naruto swear a string of colourful curses and started struggling on the blonde's shoulder, punching and kicking as best as he could.

Then Naruto suddenly turned around, nearly causing the Uchiha to fall off. Sasuke's jaw dropped. Coming at them in the opposite direction was another herd of fangirls. They were completely trapped on both sides.

"SASUKE!" They echoed. "Don't run!"

Some girl chucked a kunai at the couple with startling accuracy. Sasuke moved his head just in time, and the kunai brushed his cheek, shearing off a thin lock of black hair.

"Hold on," Naruto cautioned. Without further warning, the blonde leapt unto the side of a building and started sprinting up to the roof. Below them, Sasuke could see some girls pounce on his lock of hair. He hoped they weren't going to use his hair for voodoo purposes or strange rituals.

"No, Sasuke! Don't run away!" It was frightening how they all spoke as one.

A few of the mob—the kunoichis, Sasuke guessed—started scaling the side of the building with ease. Others sent flurries of kunai at the duo in hopes of stopping or at least slowing them down.

"Faster! Run faster, you dimwit!" Sasuke dodged a kunai and knocked one away from Naruto's head.

"Hey, I'm doing my best, okay? To the Hokage Tower?"

The confirmation wasn't necessary. Naruto already knew the answer.

-----

Somehow when her two most troublemaking ninjas crashed into her office via one of her large windows that afternoon, Tsunade wasn't the least bit surprised. She had been in the middle of an insane amount of paperwork—half of which was overdue—and secretly half-welcomed, half-dreaded the distraction. Shizune would not be happy to see Tsunade's current progress—not that she ever was—the next time she came in to check. Tsunade was exceptionally talented at shirking her duties as Hokage, but her excuses only worked so long with Shizune.

_They sure know how to make an entrance_, she thought wryly, not even looking up from the documents regarding a trade treaty with Mist as the window behind her desk shattered onto her carpeted floor. Landing in an entangled heap on the shards of broken glass were Naruto and Sasuke. Trust them not to use the door like ordinary people.

"You're paying for that. I don't care who," Tsunade declared in her Hokage voice, the one that left no room for argument, her eyes still fixated on the lines of fine print in front of her.

"Aw, but Tsunaaddeeeee!" Naruto whined, standing up and carefully brushing off pieces of glass on his body. Tsunade resisted the urge to knock him non-too-gently upside the head. Even after all these years, Naruto had remained Naruto—he still hasn't lost that particularly annoying, childish whine of his. "It's not our fault! We were chased by bloodthirsty fangirls! They were throwing kunai and trying to kill us!"

The female Hokage scoffed, finally setting aside her paperwork and raising her brown eyes to meet her two intruders. Er, visitors.

_So the rumours are true_, Tsunade thought, amused.

It was at that moment when her large wooden doors swung open, admitting the two ninja officers positioned outside her office door. Tsunade never knew whether they were there for her protection (which she definitely didn't need) or to prevent unwanted visitors from coming in. Should the latter be the case, then they certainly weren't doing that well of a job.

"Are you all right, Hokage? What has happened?"

"I'm fine. You may go," she dismissed them while rubbing her temples. "Send someone to clean up this mess too." Tsunade gestured to the mess of broken glass.

The Chuunins nodded and quickly bowed out of habit and respect before taking their leave. The trade treaty now completely forgotten, Tsunade focused her undivided attention on the room's remaining occupants.

"State your business," she addressed formally, lacing her fingers under her chin. "And it had better be something important!" Actually, she didn't really mind if the matter was irrelevant as long as it kept her from paperwork.

"Well, um… You're never gonna believe this, but…" Naruto proceeded to explain the entire story to her, including what happened that morning and their suspicions, with Sasuke interrupting once every while to add details. Of course, they conveniently left out the part where they were kissing in the bathtub. It wasn't Tsunade's business who they choose to kiss, after all.

Much to her surprise and the newlyweds' relief, Tsunade managed to keep her face schooled throughout the account. It took all her willpower to keep from trembling with laughter and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent grinning.

By the time Naruto and Sasuke were finished retelling, both were sporting identical blushes.

"And you have come to seek my help for…?" Tsunade finally prompted even though she had a vague idea what they wanted.

"We want you to annul it," the couple spoke at the same time, confirming Tsunade's hunch.

"You've consummated your marriage, have you not?" The female Hokage leaned back into her chair. Her fingers idly fiddled while she smugly trained her eyes on a flustered Sasuke and an equally embarrassed Naruto. It was about time she tortured them a little. They shattered her window, after all.

"No! I mean, yes! No! I mean, _sort of_… Well, you see…"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"What he means to say is that we've made a grave mistake," Sasuke interfered smoothly.

"So you _did_ have sex."

"Like we said, we were drunk and out of our minds. We weren't thinking straight." Naruto had a pleading look in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I understand."

"You do?" Surprise and hope were evident in their voices.

"Of course. Sexual frustration is common among boys like yourselves. Did Kakashi not give you the talk?" Tsunade pretended to raise her hand to shoo them out of her office, signalling the end of their absurd discussion.

"_NO!_ That's not what we mean!"

Tsunade hid a smile. Judging by the boys' flaming faces, Kakashi had indeed given them _the talk_. And knowing Kakashi's rather unique and eccentric character, the boys must have received a highly graphic and equally perverted version of the birds and the bees. (Truthfully, the boys had been so disturbed after the talk that they couldn't speak for a week and had recurring nightmares of bondage chains. They also grew nervous in Sakura's company and made it a point of avoiding her for days. As for Sakura, she had already been tutored by her parents and had luckily been spared that little session in sex education with Kakashi. To this day, she still had no clue what she had missed or why her companions had been so shy around her.)

"Then what do you mean?"

"The point, Old Hag is that we made a huge, huge mistake. We somehow got hitched and did it, okay? We're sorry, you're sorry, everybody's sorry. Now can you please help us?"

"What will you have me do?"

"What we said before! Annul us or something. Or at least destroy the marriage files. That way we can go on with our happy lives and forget this ever happened."

The room fell into a tense silence. Tsunade pretended for their sake to contemplate the idea. She could feel two sets of eyes glued to her every slight movement.

"No," she finally answered.

"Whaddya mean 'no'!"

"I can't do that."

"Why not!" Both spoke at the same time.

Her expression changed to serious. "It's simple. It's out of my power."

"But-but you're the _Hokage_! You're the leader of Konoha. You can do anything you want."

Tsunade frowned. "No, I can't do anything I want, Naruto. Power is given to serve. That is something you must understand if you want to become Hokage." She sighed tiredly. "I may be Hokage, but first and foremost, I must honour and uphold the law and tradition. I imagine you two oppose a divorce." She darted a sidelong look at Sasuke who remained quiet.

Naruto looked ready to protest, so she quickly continued. "I can't just pronounce your marriage nonexistent. In the eyes of Konoha's law, your marriage is legal and official. You've consummated the marriage, so now any annulment is strictly out of the question. I can't disregard the law and tradition just because you two," she levelled her gaze sternly, "got drunk and decided to play husband and wife."

"So… you're saying you can't do anything?" Sasuke softly inquired.

Tsunade's eyes softened. "No. The only thing that can be done is a divorce," she said gently.

"However, I strongly advise not making any quick, rash decisions. I also suggest lying low for a week or two until all this excitement has died down. Think about your options for a while. _Don't do anything you might regret_."

The boys remained mute as they slowly digested what she said.

"Now if there is nothing else, get out of here. I have work to do. And find someone to clean up the glass," Tsunade ordered.

They meekly nodded and were almost at the door when she called out teasingly. "By the way, is it Uzumaki Sasuke now?" Her only reply was the slamming of the door. Tsunade snickered and hoped they would actually take her (or anyone's, on that note) advice and stay out of trouble.

Once their footsteps resided out of earshot, Tsunade's gaze flickered to the open window. "You can come out now."

There was a deep chuckle before a stocky, white-haired man easily climbed through the sharp, jagged edges of the broken window. "How did you know it was me?" Jiraiya asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I suppose you heard everything?"

"Of course. I can't believe that brat bought that speech."

"I can't believe it either. Maybe he will prove to be a decent candidate for the Hokage after all."

"You know, I would've done the same."

"The same?"

"Refuse to end their little union," Jiraiya sing-songed with a wink.

The blonde woman knew what the frog hermit was implying. It wasn't difficult to erase the marriage records and destroy any proof the wedding occurred. She nodded in agreement. "Certainly. It's a pity to break up the fun just when it's begun. Besides, it'll be good for them. Who knows? Maybe they'll fall in love."

The two legendary Sannin paused, exchanged glances, and promptly burst out laughing at the purely ridiculous idea. Jiraiya proceeded to pull out a bottle of sake from a hidden pocket, and Tsunade mysteriously produced two cups. And together they drank to certain foolish newlyweds and their chaotic nuptial.

-----

It went without asking where they would "lie low" for the week. Sasuke's was absolutely out of the question since it would be the first place for fangirls to gather. (Sasuke prayed that the Uchiha residence would still be standing by the time the week was over. It would be a shame to have the place survive a century and house generations of Uchihas only to meet its end at the hands of unpredictable and hormone-driven fangirls.) They weren't about to ask Sakura for apparent reasons, and didn't even bother to consider Kakashi's one-room bachelor apartment. Iruka's was also ruled out because they felt uncomfortable being around their former schoolteacher in their current state of wedded anguish. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji probably wouldn't have minded their staying over, but it meant they'd have to explain everything and submit to a period of merciless teasing. Sasuke would sooner slit this own throat than seek help from the Hyuugas (namely Neji), although kind, sweet Hinata would've welcomed them within a heartbeat. The only obvious choice left was Naruto's apartment.

Despite that they had been close comrades for nearly all their lives, Sasuke had in fact never stepped foot into Naruto's home. He had been over plenty of times indeed, but those visits were short (though not short enough sometimes) and always limited to outside the door. Before today, he had never any desire to enter the blonde's habitat and was anxious and curious as Naruto pushed open the battered front door of his home. The lock appeared to have been broken for a long time, so having keys was pointless.

Naruto caught him looking and explained, "It's been like that forever. I just never bothered changing it. I don't have anything of value to steal anyway."

The blonde's apartment was everything Sasuke had anticipated. It was small, messy, and expressed Naruto with a capital N in every edge and corner. There was a worn table piled with empty instant ramen bowls and an old, scruffy couch next to it. Sasuke was almost surprised to see a bookshelf to one side (_Naruto reads!_), but upon closer inspection realized it was filled with abandoned ninjutsu scrolls and manga. There were dirty dishes waiting to be washed in the sink, clothes both unclean and freshly laundered lying carelessly on the couch, and random oddities scattered haphazardly everywhere. It was the complete opposite of the spotless walls and gleaming wooden floorboards of the immaculate Uchiha mansion, but Sasuke had endured worser conditions to complain. He had to admit the apartment was cozy. At least it was nowhere near the worst-case scenario, which included a leaky roof and a place infested with rats.

"I guess we'll just have to visit Shika later. I'm not giving up, you know," Naruto declared sharply, casually tossing his bright orange jacket onto his couch. He moved to the kitchen and snatched an apple off the fruit bowl. He polished it on his black tank top before taking a bite.

"Of course not. I'm not staying married to a pinhead like you if it's the last thing I do."

"Hey! You want a fight?"

"No. I don't need a brainless, bloody pulp right now. Even if you are brainless to begin with," Sasuke smirked and went to examine the bedroom.

Naruto's room was plain but neat. It boasted only a tiny single bed, a chest of drawers, and a nightstand. What caught Sasuke's eye immediately were the two framed pictures on the nightstand. The next thing he knew, he had picked up the cheap picture frames and was gingerly stroking the edge, reminiscing.

One was of Team Seven, taken years ago while they were still completing C and D rank missions. Kakashi was standing behind him and Sakura, his hands resting on their shoulders, while Naruto was in the front, posing and grinning widely. Sakura, smiling sweetly, had her arms around his, much to his annoyance, which led to the scowl he was wearing when the camera clicked. The other photo was newer and taken at a festival night a couple years ago. Sasuke originally hadn't wanted to go, but Naruto had somehow blackmailed him. They were attired in traditional kimonos, Naruto in light blue and Sasuke in dark violet. The blonde was clutching bags of candy and smiling at the camera, while Sasuke simply stood next to him, neither scowling nor smiling. Sasuke was amazed at how good they looked together. Almost like a—

The sound of the doorbell abruptly woke him from his thoughts. He dropped the picture frame, but quick reflexes caught it before it landed on the floor.

Who could be visiting Naruto? Surely, no one aside from Tsunade knew of Naruto's role in yesterday's escapade. It must be someone familiar then.

Naruto himself was puzzled as he answered the door.

"Hel—" he started to say; then quickly slammed the door shut upon seeing who the person was. He pressed his back to the door, desperately trying to think of what to do.

Outside, Sakura frowned. She raised her hand to press the doorbell again.

"Naruto?" Sasuke eyed the blonde curiously. "Who is it?"

"Sa. Ku. Ra," Naruto mouthed.

The Uchiha's eyes widened. Oh no! If Sakura found out he was here… He shuddered at the mere thought. _Stop panicking, Uchiha, and think of a way out,_ he ordered himself and successfully quelled the bubbling fear. Stealthily, he dashed back into Naruto's bedroom and waited, his ear pressed to the door.

Naruto mentally counted to ten and cleared his throat before opening the front door again just enough to reveal a pensive Sakura.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Huh? That? Uh, it was nothing. I just didn't expect to see you here," Naruto forced a smile. It must have looked really fake because Sakura raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Naruto swallowed nervously. Was Sakura catching on? He could never lie to her. She always knew it when he was telling anything less than the truth.

"Can I come in?"

"NO!" Naruto kicked himself hard. _Smooth move, Uzumaki. Now she definitely knows something is up._

Sakura's eyebrow raised even higher. "What is going on, Naruto?"

"Nothing," he squeaked. Now Sakura definitely knew Naruto was hiding something. And he knew that she knew that he was hiding something. And she knew that he knew that she knew that he was hiding something. Even Sasuke knew that she knew that he knew that she knew that he was hiding something. And Naruto knew that she knew that he wasn't about to give an explanation.

The pink-haired nurse pursed her lips and decided to play along. Naruto was easy to crack anyway—not that she hasn't had enough practice over the years trying to coax out more than five words from Sasuke. "Fine then. Is there someone in there? Do you have guests?"

"No."

"Then why can't I come in?" With that said, Sakura pushed the door open and brushed past the tall blonde. Naruto had no choice but to close the door quietly behind her. He darted a nervous glance at his bedroom door.

"If you're worried of a messy place, it's okay. I've been here enough times. I don't mind." Sakura went to the couch and cleared a space from all the clothes for her to sit. She smoothed her skirt (a constant habit of hers whenever she was anxious or distressed) and placed her white purse on her lap.

"Uh, thank you?" How exactly is one supposed to answer that question? Naruto duly plopped down next to her.

It was then with the afternoon sun pouring boldly through the window that Naruto got a really good look at her. Sakura's pink hair wasn't neatly combed and in place like always. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot and her cheeks were tearstained. Her lips were red and worried as if she had been biting and nibbling them for a while. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was really upset and had been crying hard for a long time.

Without warning, tears started rapidly welling in her light green eyes and flowing down her cheeks. Sakura shoved her flushed face into his chest and wrapped her arms securely around his waist. Naruto wound his muscular arms in reply and pressed her tightly to himself, trying to whisper reassuring words to calm her. For a good quarter of an hour, Naruto allowed Sakura to sob into him while he held onto her shaking figure.

Hearing nothing for awhile, Sasuke couldn't help but feel curious. As gently and quietly as he could, he inched open the bedroom door just enough so that he had a view of the couch. The hinges creaked but, fortunately, it seemed the duo outside didn't hear. What he saw caused a tint of something unpleasant to spark inside him. Sakura was crying into Naruto's chest and he had his arms around her. Sasuke didn't like the scene but couldn't do anything about it.

…Was he jealous? But, but that was absurd! Why would he be jealous? Naruto didn't like Sakura anymore, did he?

Finally, Sakura began to quieten down. Sniffling and hiccupping, the girl delicately pulled out of Naruto's hug. There was a big, dark spot on the black fabric where her eyes had been.

"P-People are s-saying that Sasuke got married yesterday," she whispered softly. "I d-don't know who though… B-But I believe that it's true…"

"I know."

"Y-You do?" There was a silence as Naruto realized that was absolutely the wrong thing to say. "You… you knew about it, didn't you? I bet you were there when they eloped! Was I the only one who didn't know?" Sakura's voice began building momentum, and before long she was screaming outright at the top of her lungs.

"N-NO! I didn't mean that! I didn't know!" Naruto desperately answered. He noticed the knuckles clenching her purse were white and wondered if Sakura was going to hit him with her purse.

"You do! You do!"

"No, I don't!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

Sakura's voice faltered. "You do."

"I don't."

"…You don't?"

"I do," Naruto replied unconsciously.

Sakura's eyes widened. "YOU DO!"

"NO! I really don't, Sakura. You have to believe me!" the blonde lied. As if she had lost all energy, the nurse slumped back onto the couch.

"Okay, I believe you, Naruto. But you have to help me." Sakura took one of Naruto's strong, calloused hands in hers and stared into his blue eyes dramatically. "Promise me," she commanded solemnly.

"I promise."

"You must help me find whoever did this. I-I know this sounds selfish, but Sasuke doesn't deserve her! I was the one who looked after him all these years, and I know he wouldn't just marry some girl. She must have seduced or tricked or even blackmailed him into marrying her. You understand, don't you?"

Naruto didn't have a choice but to nod.

"You have to help me find her. I… I have to know who she is. I-I've waited so long… It's just not _fair_!"

"Um… say if—"

"Not if, Naruto, _when_," Sakura corrected sternly, her hands tightening around his.

"_When_ you find this… er, _girl_, um… you'renotgonnakillher,areyou?" The last part spilled out of his lips.

"Of course not. I'm going to torture her first," Sakura's steel gaze hardened even more. "After everything she did to Sasuke, it's the least she deserves!"

The blonde licked his lips. His mouth had suddenly gone as dry as the desert. Now how was he going to weasel his way out of this one? Sakura had just made him promise to capture and hand over to her for torture the one that Sasuke married. Which is himself.

Across the room, Sasuke who was still eavesdropping on their conversation couldn't suppress the urge to sneeze any longer. He didn't even know that it counted when one was _eavesdropping_ on a conversation about oneself. Horrified, he froze in his position, holding his nose and praying that Sakura wouldn't notice.

Sakura's head jerked in the direction of the sound. She was positive she heard something come from that room.

"Did you hear that?" she asked Naruto, who immediately blocked her view.

"No, that was just me," Naruto lied and faked some coughs and sneezes. _Sasuke!_ He screamed in his mind.

"No, no. I distinctively heard something from here," Sakura insisted, getting up and slowing making her way to what she remembered to be Naruto's bedroom.

_SHIT! She's coming!_ Sasuke cursed, madly scrambling backward. He could hear Sakura's steps on the floor approaching as surely and determined as the sun would the following sunrise. His back hit the bed and Sasuke, panicking, did the only thing he could think of when the door swung open.

Sakura hesitantly placed her hand on the doorknob. The door was ajar and she pushed it open slowly. The hinges creaked. Behind her, Naruto didn't dare to breath. He closed his eyes and braced his ears for the scream of _"SASUKE!"_ that was sure to follow.

But it never came.

Sakura could not believe her eyes.

Sitting on the side of Naruto's bed was a girl. A very pretty and very _naked_ girl. Her legs were crossed and her hands were resting on the bed.

The girl looked out of place in Naruto's humble, cozy apartment on his blue and orange bedspread. As a matter of fact, she looked like she belonged on the cover of the glamorous high fashion magazines Sakura's mother used to collect. Sakura remembered pouring over the magazines with Ino when they were children and admiring all the beautiful ladies featured on its pages. They would've idolized this girl for sure.

The girl was gorgeous. She had smooth, flawless milky skin and long black hair. The locks were artfully cut and fell just past her slim shoulders. Her eyes were equally black and framed with long dark eyelashes. She was the kind of traditional beauty—black hair, black eyes, and white skin—that exists in myths and legends. The girl was blushing.

Sakura's cheeks heated up too. Now she understood why Naruto was so reluctant to welcome her in. They must have been doing certain _things_ before she interrupted them.

"Sorry," she murmured before bolting past Naruto and out of the apartment.

Sasuke wanted to kill himself. No, he wanted to kill Naruto for inventing this ludicrous jutsu and himself for actually using it. Why had he chosen this stupid technique? Now there was no telling what Sakura would think.

Naruto, confused, went to investigate. And promptly passed out with a nosebleed.

_To Be Continued. _


End file.
